Murim Login - Chapter 479

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 479
The world crumbles, only to be rebuilt anew.
The crimson Underground Cavern brimming with ferocity and the undulating river waters vanished, as did the exquisitely crafted silver hairpin. What filled the void was a reality beyond memory.
Whoooosh.
I blinked slowly. The veil of water that had enveloped my entire body dispersed, and the transformed surroundings came into sharp focus.
Simultaneously, time—which had been frozen as if someone had pressed pause—began to flow once more.
And in the next instant, as if a dam holding back accumulated water had burst, the cool air around me and system notifications crashed down upon me.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
–
[Memory Fragment]
has been released!
–
[Mutated Water Dragon]
has regained its sanity. Quest information has been updated!
– According to the updated Quest information, mission success is acknowledged!
– Sudden Quest,
[Fallen Spirit Beast]
has been successfully completed!
– Acquired vast amounts of experience and renown!
– Level Up!
– Level Up!
With the level-up notifications, a mysterious force breathed new vitality into my exhausted body and replenished my depleted inner strength.
Yet for some reason, I could not even breathe properly.
‘Hong Ran. It was Hong Ran.’
Yes, it was her.
The Ha-o Gate Member who survived the tragedy of Dongting Lake alongside Ju Won-gong. A beauty of such transcendent grace that she could sway nations.
The owner of this hairpin lodged in my hair was the very architect who had corrupted the virtuous Water Dragon and stained both Dongting Lake and the Yangtze River with blood—the mastermind behind every calamity that had unfolded in Hubei Province.
How had I not seen it? Where did falsehood end and truth begin?
‘Gate. Magical power. Hong Ran. Dark Heaven.’
Countless questions and thoughts flickered through my mind in that fleeting moment. My overloaded brain felt as though it might shatter.
Trembling at this incomprehensible reality, I could discern the silhouettes of three figures hurtling toward me.
Including the contorted face of Jeok Cheon-gang leading the charge.
“You dare—!”
When I thought about it, anyone would have misunderstood the scene.
The conversation between the Water Dragon and me, and the time spent within [Memory Fragment], had all transpired in an extraordinarily brief moment, and I had exhibited strange behavior while standing perfectly still.
Snapped awake by Jeok Cheon-gang’s thunderous roar of fury, I cried out like lightning.
“Old Master Noya!”
“…!”
We were the kind who could discern each other’s intentions with nothing but a glance.
Understanding the emotion contained in my cry, Jeok Cheon-gang’s eyes widened. Simultaneously, the trajectory of his advancing fist shifted direction.
A deep whoosh, then a thunderous crash!
It was a matter of mere inches.
The fist energy that barely skirted past the Water Dragon struck the now-calm water surface with devastating force.
The heat contained within that blazing strike was so immense that all moisture within a radius of several zhang evaporated in an instant.
The Water Dragon now stood at death’s threshold.
Had it taken a blow like that, there would have been no time for a final conversation.
“You… why did you…!”
– Concerned for your disciple? You are a worthy master indeed.
“Gasp!”
The intent the Water Dragon conveyed was clearly not meant for me alone.
Jeok Cheon-gang drew a sharp breath and stumbled backward, while Moon-kyung and Chung Poong, who arrived moments later, wore expressions as though they had glimpsed a ghost.
“What… what was that just now?”
“Uh, even Mi-mi can’t do something like that.”
…A faint ripple.
Our reflections shimmered in the Water Dragon’s deep, luminous eyes. Jeok Cheon-gang spoke in a trembling voice.
“What are you… what exactly are you?”
– Some call me a divine spirit, others a monster. You must find the answer to that question yourselves.
A low rumble.
The Water Dragon, breathing with great effort, continued its intent.
– I must offer my final gratitude. Had you not stepped forward, I would have remained a hideous abomination until the very end….
The intent that had rung clearly in my mind began to fade gradually.
The light was already draining from the Water Dragon’s luminous eyes.
‘Dying? Like this?’
I looked toward Moon-kyung with one last glimmer of hope, but he who bore the additional title of Divine Physician merely shook his head with a grim expression.
“It is already too late. Even if the Great Immortal of the Celestial Worthy came, it could not be stopped.”
– Your words are true. One who walks between life and death.
One who walks between life and death.
At those words that pierced through a person’s very identity, Moon-kyung’s neat brows twitched slightly.
“You… know of me?”
– Though I could not ascend to the heavens, my body has accumulated cultivation over long centuries. I have seen all of you gathered here in my dreams.
What could possibly have transpired in the dreams the Water Dragon had dreamed?
The Water Dragon was an imoogi that had lived for five hundred years. Even facing death with its strength exhausted, there remained a depth and mystery about it that defied comprehension.
As though gazing upon something beyond human understanding, the Water Dragon’s eyes fixed upon the empty space beyond our shoulders as it conveyed its intent.
– Regrettably, what is permitted to me ends here. Though I cannot reveal the secrets of heaven… yes, it would be acceptable to leave one final gift upon my last journey.
A gift?
None of us were even given the chance to voice our confusion.
In the next instant, my eyes widened at the faint shimmer of light that flowed from the Water Dragon’s blood-soaked mouth.
A soft gleam.
It was a pearl that radiated a gentle luminescence.
As though lifted by an invisible hand, it slipped from the Water Dragon’s mouth and floated up into the empty air, trembling of its own accord.
A deep, resonant hum.
Vibrations carried through the air itself.
At the same moment, the black blemishes that had occupied a considerable portion of the pearl began to dissolve and fade away. With each pulse, the pearl’s size noticeably diminished before my eyes.
‘This is….’
What I witnessed was far more than mere visual phenomena.
I could sense the magnitude and depth of the qi contained within the pearl, and from the spectacle unfolding before me, the word “purification” crystallized in my mind.
And when at last the entire sequence of transformations reached its conclusion, an involuntary gasp escaped from someone’s lips.
“Ahhh.”
A soft exhale.
The pearl now radiated a brilliance utterly incomparable to its former state.
Though its size had visibly diminished to rival that of a standard core, the crystallized essence of qi purged of all impurities contained a boundless clarity and profundity.
‘Utterly pure.’
Truly a crystalline manifestation of formidable power.
In that moment, all of us—myself included—gazed upon it with eyes alight with wonder.
A gentle drift.
The crystallized essence of qi, drifting slowly through the void, came to rest before me. Simultaneously, the Water Dragon’s consciousness resonated forth.
– This is my primordial essence. In the mortal realm, you call it an inner core.
“…!”
– Though diminished from what it once was, it shall surely become a great strength. I beseech you to employ it where it is needed most.
An offer I had no reason to refuse.
With trembling eyes fixed upon the crystallized essence, I reached out and grasped it.
A crystalline chime.
–
[Water Dragon’s Primordial Essence]
has been acquired!
The system notification echoed in my ears.
The Water Dragon, having surrendered everything of itself, slowly blinked its eyes.
In those eyes now gazing upon the clearing sky, a faint smile lingered.
– Yes, thus far it has been….
A low rumble.
As its consciousness grew dim, the final breath of the serpent that never became a true dragon escaped from blood-stained lips. Then all fell silent and still.
I reached out and closed the Water Dragon’s eyes, now cold and rigid.
‘You have labored well.’
Through the [Fragments of Memory], I had witnessed the Water Dragon’s entire existence.
It was a mysterious being that could not be called an ordinary spirit, and a benevolent one that had sacrificed itself to prevent an even greater calamity.
Thus, at least in this final moment, it deserved the right to meet death on its own terms.
Not as a sacrificial pawn for leveling, but as a natural passing.
Yet there was one exception—one person for whom I would make allowances regardless of circumstance.
‘…Hong Ran.’
I withdrew the silver hairpin that had been holding my hair in place.
I gazed silently at the object that exhaled such a faint fragrance—barely perceptible even to a keen nose—before turning to Jeok Cheon-gang, who still seemed bewildered. “Would you like to go catch a snake?”
“Would you like to go catch a snake?”
“What in the world is happening here? What are you—? A snake?”
“Yes. A flower snake.”
* * *
Clear laughter rang out across the deck of the military ship, drawing everyone’s gaze.
Though in truth, the laughter alone was not the sole reason for their attention.
Any man with eyes had been stealing glances at her since before she boarded—she possessed beauty of such extraordinary caliber.
“Ah, even her laughter is beautiful.”
A middle-aged guard in military garb muttered wistfully, and his companion beside him offered a rebuke.
“Your wife should have seen you like this.”
“Don’t speak such inauspicious words. I’d sooner lock eyes with Yama King himself.”
“You’re old enough, with five rabbit-like children running about—and still you carry on like this?”
“What about you?”
“I haven’t any children yet.”
“But you have a wife, don’t you?”
His fellow guard declared solemnly.
“Not for much longer.”
“…You’ve gone completely mad. Are you in your right mind?”
“What’s wrong with me? Any man worth his salt should try his luck at least once.”
“I assure you, that won’t happen.”
“Are you already conceding defeat?”
“No. Someone far younger, far more handsome, and far more capable has already made his move.”
His words held truth. A military official with sharp, refined features was already striding toward the woman without hesitation.
“Miss. It seems you’ve encountered something delightful.”
Song Gun-gwan, the military ship’s commander, flashed a brilliant smile, his teeth gleaming white.
Born into wealth and blessed with striking appearance, he possessed considerable confidence—even if the woman before him was a beauty of such transcendent loveliness that one might glimpse her only once or twice in a lifetime.
‘She’s no great lady from a noble household, merely a courtesan at best.’
And in the next moment, Song Gun-gwan’s certainty crumbled entirely.
“Yes, I do. Something quite delightful indeed.”
Her voice rang pure as a purified soul. Her laughter bloomed like hydrangeas in full flower.
From her emanated a beauty both alluring and pristine, pristine yet utterly untouchable.
Song Gun-gwan found himself stammering without realizing it.
“I, I, I see.”
At the sight of Song Gun-gwan’s flustered state, the woman—Hong Ran—covered her mouth and laughed.
Her eyes curved like crescents, and the surrounding guards who had been casting sidelong glances without pause let slip anguished sighs.
‘How dare they.’
Song Gun-gwan glared at his subordinates, then, clutching his racing heart, opened his mouth.
“What a pity. It would be wonderful to share in your joy together, Miss….”
His words trailed off with deliberate ambiguity, and Hong Ran smiled knowingly.
“Well, I’m concerned that the young lady might needlessly disturb our Song Gun-gwan’s peace of mind with careless words.”
Our? Song Gun-gwan?
There was no doubt about it. This was the green light that only appeared between a man and woman who harbored affection for each other.
Song Gun-gwan, emboldened with courage, cried out loudly.
“I swear upon the honor of my ancestors! Such a thing shall never come to pass!”
“My, how valiant you are. Then I shall tell you something special, just for you, Song Gun-gwan. Come closer, let me whisper in your ear….”
“Yes, of course!”
Song Gun-gwan felt his heart pounding as he leaned his ear toward Hong Ran, and in that very moment, a sweet and warm breath tickled the side of his ear.
“The truth is, I used the great serpent that dwells in Dongting Lake to kill countless people.”
“What?”
“But that serpent has just died. It’s regrettable in one sense, yet I find it rather amusing.”
Song Gun-gwan slowly lifted his head, his expression vacant as he gazed at Hong Ran.
He could not fathom what this woman before him was saying, nor could he grasp what he had just heard.
“My lady, what do you mean by….”
“Exactly as you heard it. I trust you will understand me, Song Gun-gwan.”
For some reason, Hong Ran’s languid voice caused Song Gun-gwan’s expression to grow hazy and distant.
It was not merely a man’s romantic affection for a woman. It was an irresistible pull, a chain that ensnared both a person’s emotions and their very soul.
“Isn’t that right, Song Gun-gwan?”
“…Of course. Absolutely.”
“How wonderful.”
Hong Ran watched with satisfaction as Song Gun-gwan nodded as though entranced, then turned her gaze toward the vast expanse of the river.
And to the man who had become her captive, she issued not a request, but her first command.
“Shall we change our destination?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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